Happiness
by The Lady M
Summary: It was her own sort of gold that no one could steal.' Elizabeth thinks about her adventure, greed, friendship, and most of all happiness: How it is certainly in the eye of the beholder. R&R please!


M/N: It's been in my brain to do a PotC fic ever since I saw the movie.  And even though this isn't really a fic, it's what my brain needed to get out.  It was my chance to jump on the bandwagon.  One-shot introspective on Elizabeth as she's looking at the gold in the cave at the end.  So yes, **_spoilers_**.  R&R please!  Enjoy!  

**Rating: PG for one word and also because I don't really like writing G things.  Dunno why.**

**Theme(s): Happiness and finding it for yourself**

**Disclaimer: I don't own _Pirates of the Caribbean_, or any of the characters appearing in it.  I'm not making money off this (though it would be nice if I did) so don't sue me.  I own nothing except a ticket stub and the soundtrack I bought at Borders.**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

She stood looking at the chest of gold.  Inside, she knew, were dozens of coins.  Gold coins.  Beautiful, shimmering gold.  Enough to test the resolve of the most content man.  Just waiting there, ready to be picked up.  She could almost hear it whisper on the waves of the water in the cave: _Go on, take one.  One won't hurt.  Just one.  Take a piece.  Think of how much gold that is.  How rich you could be.  You could be happy with this much gold!  Go on.  Take it!_

All this trouble was over one small hunk of metal.  It was disgusting.  The greed of some people.  She admitted it though, seeing all this gold and splendor around her, she was tempted to take some herself.

But it was tainted.  Tainted with greed and the blood of thousands.  People she knew- had known- had been killed for these riches.  And for what?  The lives of pirates who, once they were fully restored, would wreak havoc on them again.  

And were they happy, these pirates?  Did they find true pleasure in inflicting pain on others?  They had caused _her_ enough pain.  She could imagine that all the other people they had exterminated had been much happier before these ruffians put an end to their lives.  They deserved to have this fate.  They wouldn't make any more people unhappy.

So her adventure was over.  Everything was set right.  Good won over evil, as it always does.  She was happy it was over.  No more fearing for her life, no more killing, no more danger, no more excitement . . .

No more excitement.  That made her pause.  Would she go back to her old life?  Boring and uneventful?  After she got home to Port Royal, after she got cleaned up, after all the attention to see if she was all right was over, would it be like this never happened?  Did she want to forget?  Would that make her happy?

It wasn't as if she was _un_happy at home.  She had everything she needed.  A home, Father, clothes, servants, furnishings, a social standing . . . and lots of parties to attend.  That was all it was.  An endless string of parties, sleeping, eating, and daydreaming.  There was no suspense to any of that.  No thrill came up her spine when she thought of the General's wife's next ball to attend.

No thrill also came up her spine when she thought of a certain Commodore waiting for her.  He was a good man though.  Kind, well-bred, courageous . . . and completely safe.  It wasn't a bad thing, but what excitement was there when you were safe, hmm?  If you always took the path with less danger?  Smooth sailing, not a cresting wave to be seen.

He might be the safest route to follow, but not the interesting one.  The one with spontaneity and adventure awaited her too.

Will.  He had always been there for her.  Shy though he was, the past few days had really shown him to her.  He was brave and graceful with a sword; his fluid movements challenging even a well trained pirate.

Will was always there to save her.  It was funny actually.  When they had first met, when he was pulled aboard the ship after being adrift for God knows how long, her father had said he was in _her_ charge.  _She_ was to take care of him.  

And she had.  In all their years together, she had done whatever she could for him.  She had been his friend and stood by him and did everything to make him happy.  Then they had grown up.  Everything was fine one day and the next he was overly polite to her and never called her 'Elizabeth' again.  Will had changed in an instant it seemed.  He was shy and quiet and it seemed he never wanted to spend time with her anymore.

She admitted that she thought he disliked her.  And it made it even worse for her because she had started having feelings for him, and the worst thing ever is unrequited love.  And though she denied anything for him other than companionship, she knew it was deeper.  

But he had definitely proved himself to her over this last week or so.  Not only had he saved her numerous times (almost always at his expense), he had _come_ for her . . . across an ocean, battling the worst of people, and living in awful places, to save _her_.  It made her heart beat faster at the thought.  That was certainly a good outcome of this whole ordeal.

She couldn't help thinking back to when he had given himself to the pirates so she could be free to live.  True, she'd had to walk the plank (an experience she never wanted to repeat, if it was in her power to do so), but he had sacrificed himself, even when he knew the pirates would most likely kill him.

He had saved her many a time before she got marooned on that island with Jack.  Hmm, Jack.  Another of her saviors on her adventure.  He had saved her when she fell off that cliff with that damned corset on.  Blast those English women to Hades, that was _not_ a good fashion.  And how could it be called beautiful when it near killed the person that was caged inside it?

But Jack knew how to save her.  She would have drowned without him.  And then he had saved them (though inadvertently and without his approval) on the island with the rum.  An awful drink that was.  But he made her laugh harder than she had in a long time when they were around that campfire singing pirate songs.  Later, she felt a tad wicked for tricking him like that . . . but it was all to get them off that island.  They never would have survived if it hadn't been for Jack's favorite drink and the palm trees all around them.

That was a good night.  Scary and upsetting, but fun.  

She could hear Jack now, pilfering through some of the gold lying about the dank cave.  He would never stop.  But well, he _was_ a pirate.  She could give him that much.  It was in his job description to do so.  To do as he pleased, whenever he wanted, and be happy doing it.

Happy.  He was happy with what he did.  He was happy doing illegal, irredeemable (though exciting and exhilarating) things.  

She looked around at Will, who was staring off at something.  There was a light in his eyes she hadn't seen since they'd played when they were children.  There was a spring in his step she'd never seen in her whole_ life_.  His mouth smiled easier and truer than she had ever seen it.

He was happy too.  This adventure of theirs made them happy.  It wasn't the gold (though that was definitely an added bonus), it was the thrill of doing something on the spur of the moment, without having time to think of what to do next, that made them smile.  It was the rush of adrenaline in your brain, the beating of your heart till it was about to burst out of your chest, the shiver up her spine, the pulsing veins in her ears, the sweat she didn't mind having run down her neck when she got going-

And she realized with a shock: she was happy too.  Doing this made her happy.  The adventure and excitement and exhilaration that came with doing this.  It was thrilling.  She had been happy during this escapade, even the dangerous parts made the adventure worth while.  Now that it was over, she didn't want it to stop.

It was against the rules, yet felt so right to her.  Did she _have_ to live her life by the rules forever?  Could she just let loose and live for once; not caring if what she did, or was going to do, was right or wrong or in between?

She realized, that despite all the fearing for her life and killing and danger there was, she wanted the adventure to keep going.  She didn't want this to stop!  She had been happy even while things got sticky and while she thought there was no way out.  She had gotten on an adventure high she couldn't come back from.

She wanted this.  All of it.  The danger, the adventure, the sea . . . it was so appealing to her.  She could see where Will and Jack felt the exhilaration.  She wouldn't go back to her dull life at Port Royal.  She wouldn't go back to the monotony of days on end with the same things to do.  

No.  Not anymore.  She would be where everything happened in an instant, in the blink of an eye.  Where nothing was planned.  Where what looked like nothing, was, in actuality, everything.  

She would be with the sea and the ship and the crew and Jack . . . and Will.  And she would be happy.  Happier than she'd ever been.  

No, her adventure wasn't over yet.  She still had much, much more ahead of her.  And she wouldn't waste it.  She would have her excitement and suspense.  No more dull days.  No more balls or parties, no more dressing up, definitely no more corsets . . . and no more rules.  

She was her own person now, and no one could steal that from her.  She would be greedy herself, in her own way, and take her happiness.  It was her own sort of gold that no one could steal.

Not even greedy, cursed, dead (though still alive) pirates.  Savvy?

**:::_"_**_People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness.  Just because they're not on your road doesn't mean they've gotten lost."  **-H. Jackson Brown, Jr.**_**:::**


End file.
